The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to closures, and more particularly but not exclusively to closures for items such as jewelry, especially rings, bracelets and earrings and including Huggie earrings.
Rings with closures are useful in the case of fingers whose sizes change over the course of a lifetime, not an uncommon phenomenon. As well as change in size, arthritic joints can make it painful to allow closely fitting rings or bracelets to slide over.
Huggie earrings are a popular style of earring and are so-called because the setting hugs the earlobe. Many custom jewelers make huggie earrings because of the many varieties of setting that can be used. For example, stones may be channel set in huggie earrings. Settings for huggie earrings may come in different shapes and sizes, including hearts, rectangles, ring shapes and horseshoes.
Huggie earrings generally have closure mechanisms which provide an open position in which the pin is exposed for insertion or removal from the piercing, and a closed position for holding the earring in position once inserted.
FIG. 1A shows a basic ring-shaped huggie earring in profile and seen side on. The setting is hinged so that the earring can be opened. The earring is then inserted into the piercing and may then be closed to hold the earring securely in place. A catch holds the hinged part in position in the closed position and may be released in order to open the earring.
FIG. 1B shows a profile and perspective view of a huggie earring with five rows of gemstones in the setting, placed using an invisible setting technique.
FIG. 1C shows a profile and side-on view of another huggie earring with gemstones set in two rows using an invisible setting technique.
The closure mechanism in each case consists of a sprung catch with a release mechanism. The catch and release mechanism consists of several moving parts, each of which can be a separate cause of failure so that each moving part reduces the overall life expectancy of the product. In addition the catch and release mechanism is intrinsically awkward to use since it must be operated whilst on the ear of the wearer, a position which the wearer is unable to see so must work on touch alone.